The present invention relates to a seat lift mechanism in an automotive vehicle such as a passenger car, which lift mechanism is constructed to move a passenger seat from a usual position in the passenger compartment to and from an outside position adjacent the ground.
In an automotive vehicle, such as a passenger car, the compartment floor is placed at a high position from the ground, and it is difficult for an aged or handicapped person to get in and out of the vehicle compartment. To solve such a problem, various kinds of lift mechanisms have been proposed, wherein a lift step is mounted on a vehicle body structure in such a manner that where a user sat in a wheelchair or stood on the lift step for getting into or out of the vehicle compartment, the lift step is lifted up to the height of the compartment floor from a lower or ground position.
The lift mechanisms of the prior art are disadvantageous in that the user has to move within the vehicle compartment, both in order to sit on a passenger seat after being lifted and again in order to use the lift mechanism when he wishes to get out of the vehicle compartment. In addition, the conventional lift mechanism occupies a space in the vehicle compartment despite being used only when the handicapped or aged user gets in or out of the vehicle compartment. This results in reduction of space for other passengers and/or cargo space in the vehicle compartment. Furthermore, in the case where the user sits in a wheelchair after being lifted into the vehicle compartment, locking means must be provided in order to retain the wheelchair in place within the vehicle. In such a case, utility of the automotive vehicle is limited, and the user may not sit on the same seat as others. Such a situation is unpleasant for a handicapped person.